Tarot card meanings vary widely across the Rider-Waite tarot deck. Although Major Arcana cards have more grand, archetypical meanings, there is still a lot to learn from Minor Arcana cards like the Nine of Pentacles.
Below is our tarot guide on the Nine of Pentacles, where you will learn about its imagery, upright and reversed position meanings, as well as its zodiac connections.
Nine of Pentacles Keywords
Upright card (keywords)
Rewarded efforts, success, achievement, independence, leisure, material security, self-sufficiency
Reversed card (keywords)
Being guarded, living beyond means, material instability, reckless spending, superficiality
The Nine of Pentacles Tarot Card Description
The Nine of Pentacles immediately oozes class and luxury. The well-dressed woman appears to be standing in a vineyard, in which she is holding a hooded falcon in her left hand, symbolizing a sense of refined control and discipline.
She’s wearing gloves, further adding to her refined status, while dressed in wealthy colors like purple. She has money, but appears to be graceful and self-assured, and the flowers on her dress are symbolic of beauty and passion.
The garden itself is flourishing, showing that she is enjoying the fruits of her labor. The abundance of grapes shows that the garden is carefully cultivated, and the tall walls surrounding it highlight some security that comes with such wealth.
The Nine of Pentacles Upright Meaning
The Suit of Pentacles Nine meaning is a good omen, as it’s symbolic of confidence and prosperity. This Minor Arcana card highlights an abundance in your life, such as wealth or peace of mind that has been generated through honest work. A good life and an abundance of life’s luxuries have all been bought and paid for.
As a result, there is a certain elegance and beauty that radiates from your sophistication, where you’re able to enjoy the finer things in life from time to time. This can be metaphorical, in that your wealth and sophistication may be less material, and have more to do with independence, confidence, and maturity that has grown from your endeavors.
Abundance, for example, could be in the form of time as you approach retirement, or self-reliance as you become financially independent.
Love Meaning
In a love tarot reading, this card in an upright position signals security within your relationship that has helped you become more career-minded and ambitious. Stability within your relationship may be because you share similar goals, or that you’re given the time to chase your own dreams.
For singles, this is the ultimate representation of independence that is born out of being single. You may be an elegant, stylish person who has a strong mind of their own, and any relationship that is on the horizon will need to earn your respect and affection. After all, you’ve worked hard to get here.
Career Meaning
Since this card is about enjoying the fruits of your labor, there is a clear recognition here of your professional success. Persistent efforts towards your career can be difficult to keep up, particularly when it’s materially motivated. Instead, the Nine of Pentacles shows that long-term security, independence, and sophistication can be the foundation for this hard work.
Like the Eight of Pentacles, there is symbolism here over mastery within your line of work or business ventures. If you’re approaching retirement or financial independence, this is a call to cherish leisure time and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Finances Meaning
This is a powerful card to receive in a financial tarot reading. It’s pointing towards financial success, which could come from your hard work, but may also be from sensible investments that constantly yield, much like the vineyards.
Material wealth isn’t anything to feel guilty about, and you should enjoy being able to indulge in life’s luxuries without financial strain. Finally, social class is also relevant to this card, perhaps you’ve experienced upward mobility towards a more refined, comfortable lifestyle.
The Nine of Pentacles Reversed Card Meaning
The reversed meaning of the Nine of Pentacles is a clue that you may be suffering from an unhealthy dependence on others, financial instability or that you’ve become too concerned with appearances—perhaps you’ve become overly materialistic or seek external validation by elevating your social status.
Love Meaning
In a love reading, the reversed position of this card suggests that you may appear as though you’re in a perfect marriage or seem very happy being single, but in fact there are insecurities. Materialism may be impacting your relationship, or a desire to project a certain image of your love life on social media. The concern is that you may be sacrificing your personal interests—or identity as a whole—for your love life. This card is also known to show up regarding sexual exploitation but asks you to work on rebuilding trust in potential partners.
Career Meaning
It’s possible that you have been working very hard, but continue to burnout or experience setbacks within the workplace. This can be particularly painful after being used to relative success, as feeling undervalued or underpaid cannot make you confident and independent. However, this is also a message to ask yourself, do you find success unfulfilling when it doesn’t align with your personal values or lifestyle?
Finances Meaning
You may have a troubled relationship with working hard for all the wrong reasons, such as material possessions and to enable reckless spending. Rather than financial security, you may be using money as a way to maintain appearances, and this leads to a lack of independence and a lack of self-control. The reversed position is a warning against financial setbacks or overworking, as you may let your personal growth slip by.
Other Cards With The Nine of Pentacles
There is an underlying message of the beauty that lies within being self-sufficient and independent. But, what are the tarot meanings when combined with other cards from the Rider-Waite deck?
The Nine of Pentacles and The Four of Wands
The Four of Wands is a natural combination for the Nine of Pentacles, as it’s a card about celebration. Together, there is a celebration of success, perhaps by creating a stunning home environment or a well-kept garden. There is a pleasure to be derived from sharing your success, and this combination calls for that through community gatherings and hosting others.
The Nine of Pentacles and The Hermit
The Hermit’s introspection brings new meanings to the Nine of Pentacles. The most intuitive understanding of this pairing is that you can pursue deeper wisdom along your spiritual path because of a deeper wisdom. You may be on the right path in achieving inner peace, and material abundance will not get in the way of that.
The Nine of Pentacles and The Eight of Pentacles
The Eight of Pentacles is a card about the repetitive and deep dedication that’s required to become a craftsman. When paired with the Nine, there’s an emphasis on the continuation of refining your skillset, even after experiencing some success. This is a reminder that behind every instance of successful independence is persistent effort. And, in many ways, these two things are tied—the more we focus on becoming competent in our job role, the greater the independence that will be rewarded.
The Nine of Pentacles and The Empress
There’s a powerful feminine synergy between these two cards that highlights an abundance of natural fertility. The Empress embodies a nurturing energy and an abundance of that. Having this pair in your reading suggests you may be nurturing others from a position of your own security. This might be emotionally, with your time, or materially. There is also a recognition of an enjoyment of life’s raw and natural pleasures.
The Nine of Pentacles and The High Priestess
This is a powerful combination. You may already be experiencing some level of financial independence, but when paired with The High Priestess, it’s a sign that you’re also being guided by your intuition. A mystical insight is introduced to complement the Nine’s self-sufficiency, providing some spiritual depth to the success.
The Nine of Pentacles Card and Its Astrological Sign
The Nine of Pentacles tarot card is mostly connected to the zodiac sign Virgo. Though Virgo is ruled by Mercury and there is a connection to the second decan of Virgo (governed by Saturn), tarot interpretations tend to ascribe the Nine of Pentacles to Venus in Virgo.
Venus is a symbol of beauty and luxury. This pleasure in abundance is central to the Nine of Pentacles, and when connected to Virgo, these qualities become more practical.
Conclusion
The 9 of Pentacles is a good card pull to receive in tarot spreads. The independent woman is a symbol of not just financial stability and material security, but independence and beauty.
Now that you’ve learned the general meaning of this card, and how it may apply to you in different ways, you’re equipped to relax, in good health, in your natural setting.
In order to know more about your financial prosperity and love life, it’s important to ask yourself the right questions. Claim our free tarot reading today to help do just that!
